epicure March 2018

As a gourmet lifestyle media, we are in the business of whetting taste buds and igniting imagination through the images we produce. This issue, we injected a little dessert trickery into our cover story – with the help of our favourite beauty products – that will leave you questioning what is real and what is not. Take a look at the cover image and our story on page 70. Can you tell which ones are soaps and which ones are the replicas, and if the rose-tinted highlighter is even real? We had a blast working with the ingenious pastry chef Alex Chong of Regent Singapore, A Four Seasons Hotel on this editorial, which was in part inspired by hyperrealism, a hand-drawing technique that renders super realistic details so that it looks…

ALEX CHONG’s passion for baking was sparked by his stint at a Singapore bakery. The Sabah-born chef represented Singapore in international competitions such as the IKA Culinary Olympics 2016 (where he took home a gold medal). Chong currently oversees the pâtisserie and baking needs for Regent Singapore, A Four Seasons Hotel’s F&B outlets. What’s your most extravagant creation? “The apple tarte tatin that I created for the IKA Culinary Olympics 2016, which comprised golden apples in three ways, caramelised apples, iced apple yuzu compote. apple espuma, and frozen apple coulis. This winning dish involved four cooking methods – steaming, baking, cooking and freezing – and contained components at four temperatures - 65°C, 4°C, -2°C and -12°C. All these factors were very difficult to control. We were given only five hours to…

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Vera Wang pour Ladurée Bridal couture extraordinaire Vera Wang swaps fabrics for frosting in a dreamy collaboration with French pâtisserie, Ladurée. Vera Wang pour Ladurée includes four awe-inspiring desserts to swoon over. The Mango and Coconut Wedding Cake (US$20/S$26 per person, minimum 40 guests) reigns supreme with its dramatic tiers, intricate sugar roses and a cascading bow – in uniform white or a chic, contrasting black. Of course, we can’t forget about Ladurée’s iconic macarons. Each peach-coloured meringue shell is filled with coconut crème chantilly. The set of six (US$24) comes in a black box with silver detailing and a Vera Wang ribbon. Or go for Wang’s take on the macaron tower, where soft peach hues layer an eye-catching base (from US$166 to US$425). There’s also a mini cake (US$20) shaped…

When it comes to the types of green tea, there’s no match for matcha. The etymology of matcha stems from ma, the Japanese word for powder, and cha, which means tea; and the brew is undoubtedly a cut above its peers. The whole tea leaf is first ground before it’s mixed with water, as compared to other teas which typically involve steeping leaves in water to infuse flavours. Higher grades of matcha are made from grinding younger leaves, and using a slow-turning wheel to preserve their nutrients and bright green colour. Favoured for its delicate flavour, matcha is frequently used in ice cream, kakigōri and lattes, and typically paired with azuki beans, as the sweetness of the beans complements the earthy bitterness of the matcha. Here at epicure, we believe there’s always…

Indulge in an over-the-top Easter Sunday Champagne Brunch ($92/child, $168/adult, $228/adult with free-flow alcohol) at Edge. The four-hour brunch promises freshly shucked oysters, fork-tender Oven Roasted Raspberry Pork Ribs and scrumptious Confit Lamb with Pistachio and Herb Crust from the Chef’s Specialty Trolley. Sip on Veuve Clicquot Champagne and save some room for traditional Hot Cross Buns, while your face-painted munchkins hunt for their Easter eggs. 12pm to 3.30pm. Level 3, Pan Pacific Singapore, 7 Raffles Boulevard. Tel: 6826 8240 Your little darlings will be kept busy with Easter egg painting, and balloon sculpting at Café Mosaic, as you enjoy an extravagant Easter Sunday lunch ($34/child, $68/adult). The spread includes premium Roasted O.P. Beef with Shallot & Onion sauce, creamy Butternut Squash Soup and the lip-smacking Slow Oven-Baked Chicken Thigh glazed…